Beaufort County Administrator Ashley Jacobs resigns from top role
Beaufort County Council, which had agreed in a private meeting last week to fire Administrator Ashley Jacobs, on Monday evening accepted her resignation.
Jacobs, who had served as the county’s top leader since April 2019, said in a statement that she submitted her resignation after reaching an “agreement” with the council.
The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette have requested a copy of the county’s agreement with Jacobs.
“I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as the Beaufort County Administrator,” the statement said. “It was an honor and a privilege to serve and to lead.”
She was the county’s first female administrator.
The vote was 8-1-2, and council announced that Eric Greenway, the county’s community development director, will serve as acting county administrator starting Tuesday.
The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette reported last week after the council met behind closed doors that the members were considering terminating Jacobs. The news was met with significant community backlash. Over 250 people signed a statement demanding the council reconsider its plan to fire her and “let her work.”
A website supporting Jacobs, letherworksc.com, was created on Friday by Heather Bragg, owner of a marketing firm in Bluffton.
Monday evening, the council discussed Jacobs’ resignation in executive session, and afterward, in public, council member Alice Howard motioned for the council to accept Jacobs’ resignation.
Council members Covert and Chris Hervochon abstained from the vote, and York Glover voted against it.
The motion was supported by council members Howard, Paul Sommerville, Gerald Dawson, Brian Flewelling, Mark Lawson, Larry McElynn, Stu Rodman and Joe Passiment.
Jacobs’ resignation came after the newspapers reported that during a closed-door meeting, a 6-5 majority of the council expressed its desire to move on from Jacobs, according to Council member Mike Covert.
“A decision was made that Ashley would be removed. The word that was used was ‘termination,’” Covert said. “Six people said ‘yes, she would be removed,’ five of us said ‘no.’”
This story was originally published October 19, 2020 at 5:45 PM.
